


Manhunt

by Juliette_Silvers



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Dark, F/F, Gambling, Hurt, M/M, Mafia AU, Pain, a bit violent, all of haikyuu is in this fic, daichi almost dies, fun times at a casino, i swear to god everybody, there is no character that won't be in here you can challenge me on that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:20:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26431057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Juliette_Silvers/pseuds/Juliette_Silvers
Summary: When Daichi leaves the mob, he also leaves a lot of strings untied. After staying hidden and moving along with his life for 3 years, he gets found again. A game of cat and mouse begins and whoever loses, dies. The ultimate game of manhunt begins.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 21
Kudos: 45





	1. Found You

**Author's Note:**

> woo alright! i finally finished the first chapter of this (it took way longer than it should have). thanks for choosing this fic and if you came here from my first fic, Since You've Been Gone, thank you for continuing to support my works! i really hope you guys enjoy this mafia AU and don't be afraid to comment!

The cup of crap coffee warms up his hands as Daichi makes his way to his desk, daunted by the stacks of paper. Police reports suck.

He takes a sip from the cup as he sits down, wincing from the terrible taste. As gross as it tasted, the caffeine was much appreciated after the late night he just had.

“Sawamura-san! How are you feeling after last night?” One of his co-workers in charge of last night’s stakeout calls out to him, walking towards his desk. “You took a few good hits when the dealers made a run for it.”

“Ah, I’ll be fine. Nothing I’ve never dealt with before, trust me.” He sighs turning back to the pile of folders and papers. “I might not survive all of these forms and shit, though.”

“That’s true, buddy. I’ll see you later!” He gets a friendly slap on the back, making him grimace. It was pretty bruised after the previous night’s call.

He starts to plow through, going over and filling out each form thoroughly for his superior officers. Looking into each suspect involved in what was supposed to be a huge drug bust last night, he starts building up notes for the interrogation. Even though it wasn’t his case, he was tasked with running the questioning.

It wasn’t something he really wanted to do, especially since the mission ended up giving them little too nothing. There had only been two perps, no drugs, and an ugly fight as they tried to get away.

The names and faces on the list seemed familiar as he looks it over. As usual though, the never-ending work of the mafia keeps getting riskier and riskier. They never were the ones to play it safe. He might just recognize them from previous crimes.

“Let’s get this over with,” he mumbles, standing up with his papers in hand. “Captain, I’m going in for the interrogation. Suzuki-kun will be there to watch over the process.”

The new officer follows at his heels as they head to the interrogation room. The two suspects are already detained in the room. Daichi heads in while the other officer stays behind the glass.

“Teshiro Tamahiko and Watanabe Hiroki, both members of the Nekoma mafia group. You were found this morning at 02:17, April 23rd, XXXX at the Koyo Trading Ltd warehouse to make a supposed drug deal. My sources said you were supposed to be the sellers in this situation but when searched, there were no illegal substances found on both you and hidden in the warehouse. You are currently being questioned for further information.”

He doesn’t bother to sit down, knowing he’ll probably be glued to his desk for the next few days with paperwork. Instead, he paces back and forth like a wolf cornering its prey.

The victims, however, were calm as can be, both grinning lazily. They looked like cats, relaxing and leisurely swaying their tails back and forth. It was unsettling.

“Well, officer, there’s not much to tell you,” the one on the right, Teshiro, says with a shrug.

“I’m afraid that’s not the information I need. What were you doing at the warehouse?”

“Geez, calm down. The two of us were going for a drug deal, yeah, but we were supposed to be the buyers. We got set up.” He’s visibly irritated at the idea of them being tricked, most likely by someone they trusted somewhat. There was never full trust between mob families.

“Who were you going to buy from?”

The culprit scoffs. “The Shinzen group. Said they had been experimenting with a new drug for a bit and finally got the results they wanted. Bunch of bullshit.”

“Why would Nekoma be looking for new drugs from other groups? Their whole thing is producing and distributing drugs themselves, correct?” Every answer sparked another ten questions.

“Hey, don’t ask us. All we are are underlings. We do the dirty work, sure, but in the end, we have no say in anything. We just listen.”

“Even then, you should still be a part of the producing process.” The different information was starting to overwhelm Daichi. It was a good thing he was taking notes.

“Not with how Nekoma runs, cop. There’s the smart members and the dumb members. Smart ones do the work with the drugs, running all the tests and thinking of new chemical combinations. Us?” He gestures to both of them with his free hand. “We’re just pawns, delivery boys to them.”

“Goddamnit…” he curses while fumbling through his papers, looking for the page about the first lead. “Does the name Chigaya Eikichi ring a bell to either of you?”

It’s clear the pair knows him, both of their faces furrowing up in disgust.

“Yeah. He’s part of Shinzen, the guy we were supposed to meet with. And a rat.”

“Well then, it looks like you two were set up, ‘cause he just happens to be the guy that tipped us off.”

“That little snitch… Boss’ll skin him alive when he finds out.”

“I don’t think so. You two aren’t in the clear quite yet. We’re going to take a break so I can look through the files and figure out what the hell to do with you…”

Daichi turns to face the glass, talking to the person on the other side. “Suzuki-kun, please help bring these two back to holding. This interrogation is dismissed until further notice.”

The younger officer comes in, grabbing one of the pair while Daichi takes the other. Bringing them back to the fairly empty holding cell, both of the suspects have smug grins on their faces, like they know that this will play exactly into their favour.

“Could I get you a coffee Sawamura-sama?” his junior asks as they walk back to their desks. Behind them, the eyes of Teshiro glint like a cat.

“As long as it’s not that disgraceful excuse for coffee from the staff machine. I think I’m going to throw up if I drink any more of that crap.” He plops down into his office chair, Suzuki leaving on a coffee run.

The case file in front of him is daunting. He can’t help but feel like it’s just leading up to an even bigger problem. Something big in the mafia world was about to happen. That was never a good thing.

For the second time that day, he buries himself in paperwork, spending the rest of the day trying to find traces of Chigaya Eikichi. He set up the two Nekoma members, but why?

Daichi gets forced to leave the office by his captain, making him leave the case on pause until the next day.

That just made his gut feeling even worse.

When he starts the interrogation the next day, the suspects are awfully cocky with him, completely forgetting the threat the officer had given them the day before.

“Are you alone today, officer?” the bald one asks, confusing him.

“Yes, why does it matter? If you think you can get away or out of this with just me, you have another thing coming for you.” He chooses to sit down today, feeling especially tired.

“No no, not at all. Just a curious cat.” The glint comes back into his eyes, making Daichi nervous despite his previous confidence. “Any news about the asshole that set us up? I want to get out of this place.”

“First off, I’m running this interrogation, not you. So zip it. We’re currently searching for him, it shouldn’t take long until we manage to obtain him.”

“Will we be able to get out of here then?”

“No. You two will be going to court and are at risk of going to jail for multiple other crimes, mainly the distribution of illegal drugs, possessing illegal substances. I hope you have a good lawyer because all of the evidence we have on you two is very, very solid.”

“I don’t think that will be very necessary.” He leans forward to whisper into Daichi’s ear. “I highly doubt that Kuroo will be happy if that were to happen.”

The officer freezes at the name of his old partner. It had been a long time since he heard it.

The tall Nekoma leader had been one of his closest friends, even lover at one point, throughout high school and college. That all changed when he tried to kill him.

“That’s right, Sawamura Daichi. We’ve found you.”


	2. Please Pinch Me and Tell Me I'm Dreaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> daichi has a bad dream except its real, fainting is a bitch, he's back~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading on to chapter 2! sorry the update was late, not to mention the word count is still pretty small. school has finally started again (woohoo) and i haven't had much time between school, work, and training. I'll try to update at least once a week. thanks for the support so far!

_The pumping of his heart is deafening. He can’t hear anything else. Scrambling, he turns a corner, not wanting to know what slick substance causes him to slip._

_It’s dark as he runs through the narrow halls, only able to tell where he’s going from memory. Over the intercom, a heated voice scratches through the mic._

_“Every exit better be sealed, you useless cats. Tonight, Sawamura Daichi dies.” His lover is furious and sends a jolt through his whole body. If he didn’t get out now, he never would. He had to escape this nonsense his boyfriend started._

_Even with his attempts to stay calm, he starts to panic. He was going to die, he was going to get killed. It was game over. There was no way in hell he’d be able to get out of here, not with the defenses Nekoma had._

_Frantic, he picks up his pace, not caring if anyone could hear his footsteps. A small ray of light shines onto the floor from a little window. Seeing it as a way to try and get out, he takes it as a blessing._

_Using all his upper body strength, he reaches and pulls himself up onto the slight ledge. There’s no way to open it, so he wraps his fist with his sleeve, pulls his arm back, and punches it as hard as he can. He stays to the edge of the glass with the hit and manages to get a small crack at the dispense of his hand._

_Still, he goes again, this time taking out a chunk. It was enough and he shoves the rest of the glass out of the way to fit through._

_He sits on the ledge, looking over the manor he had built with Kuroo. The dark gardens were being lit up by searchlights, all for him. His old life was about to come to an end. And he couldn’t be happier._

_Deciding his best option was to jump down from two stories, he lowers himself to hang off the window sill. He takes a sharp breath at the weight on his injured hand._

_And drops._

_The impact shocks his whole body as he rolls out of the landing. No matter how prepared he was for the landing, there was still a crack from his ankle. It hurts like a bitch._

_Trying his best not to scream in pain, he stays crouched. His eyes scan the area around him, guards surrounding the entire property. If he was going to die, he might as well die fighting. Go out proud._

_Not wanting to be a sitting duck any longer, he moves low and quietly, wincing in pain with every bit of pressure put on his hand and foot. He gets to the fence. Now the only problem was getting out._

_“Looks like the crow has a broken wing. Such a shame.” His body stops responding to his brain, frozen in fear. “I should have known you would never truly become a cat. I guess I was naive.”_

_He struggles to move, turning on the ground to look at Kuroo. The man looks psychotic._

_His dark hair was messier than usual, so were his clothes, but it was his eyes that scared him. They were wide and bloodshot, huge circles underneath. It was more than that though. They shine with bloodlust and anger, but at the same time love. He was crazy._

_“Tetsuro, please, you don’t have to do this.” Now blinded by both pain and tears, he struggles to have any sense of dignity._

_“I don’t have to. But I want to.” The attacker lunges at his throat, grabbing a hold of it with ease. He squeezes, a smug look of satisfaction resting on his face._

_Breathing gets harder. Everything hurts. His vision starts to go dark around the edges. This was it. He was about to die at the hands of his psycho boyfriend. He gives up trying to inhale anything, knowing it's hopeless._

_The last thing he sees is Kuroo’s look of regret and hate._

He bolts up in his bed, heart beating fast and breathes running desperately. His hands grip the sweaty sheets tightly and a ghostly pain appears in his right hand. The one he broke the window with.

He frantically turns his lamp on and looks closely at his hand, then his foot. Neither were marked with bruises. He was just imagining things, it was just a dream. Kuroo hadn’t found him. He was safe, he had to be safe.

The real pain was in his temple. A harsh pounding was giving him a terrible headache.

“You’re being absolutely ridiculous, Sawamura Daichi,” he talks to himself as he heads to the shower. “They haven’t found you. They’ll never find you. It was just a stupid dream.”

The water’s cold as ice as it runs over him in attempts to bring him out of his shock. He’s quick to get into his uniform, noticing a goose egg and bruise on his forehead, and on his way. He probably just hit it off a cupboard. Preferring to arrive early, he’s one of the first to get into the office for the day. Work kept him busy.

Grabbing a bad cup of coffee first thing, he heads to his desk, causing his sergeant to come over.

“Are you sure you should work today? You were in pretty rough shape when you woke back up. Had no clue what was going on.”

The concern confuses the officer. What did he mean by “woke back up”? “I’m sorry, sergeant, but I have no idea what you’re talking about. Did something happen to me yesterday?”

His superior officer looks at him with pity. “You really don’t remember? You passed out in the middle of an interrogation with those Nekoma members. Hit your head pretty hard off the table, you got a nasty bruise to show for it.”

“I what?!” His own yelling hurts his head and he quiets down. “Wait, Nekoma members? What in the world are you…” The memories hit.

“The ones from the setup drug bust? Yeah, they’re getting out today, someone paid bail for them. Anyway, you really shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t have a concussion but go down and get it checked just in case. And make sure to ice it when you get home, got it?”

“But I still have to-”

“Don’t try to convince me, Sawamura-kun. Go home.” The stern look leaves no room for argument and Daichi gives in, grabbing his unpacked bag before heading to the elevator.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Sergeant.”

“Ice,” he hears the male say to him as the doors close. Going home so early wasn’t ideal at all. He had so much work to do, not to mention had no clue what to do in his free time. Especially if most physical activities wasn’t an option.

He sighs as he steps out of the elevator, excusing himself from work to the secretary at the front desk. She wished him well.

“Now what do I do for the rest of the day,” he mumbles, cringing at the bright sun.

In the distance, he hears a group of people yelling at each other. Though the tone wasn’t angry, it was still very disruptive. He chooses to ignore it until the voice becomes very familiar.

“Teshiro, get your ass back here! Come on, give me the money you owe! Give it!”

It was the two suspects from earlier, both acting like they were never in holding in the first place.

The pair, as well as another tall figure who he guesses was the person to pay the bail, move into an alleyway to cause a ruckus. Daichi keeps walking back to his apartment, glancing at the trio occasionally.

It isn’t until he gets closer that he recognizes the mysterious male. Tall, black spiky hair, and the smirk of an arrogant bastard.

For the first time in years, he sees the man that forced him into hiding. Kuroo is standing 10 feet away from him, eyes watching his every move. He hadn’t been dreaming.

Out of pure instinct, Daichi bolts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you liked it! don't forget to join my discord!
> 
> Discord: https://discord.gg/w6RsNPx


	3. Whatever You Do, Don't Scream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> on the run again, daichi heads to the nest of the mafia in a panic. he runs into an old friend...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am loving this story right now, it's so fun to write. sorry about the long wait for the chapter though! there is a nice and pure oneshot I've posted as an apology for that so be sure to check it out! this hasn't been edited so let me know if there's any mistakes! anyway, hope you all enjoy reading as much as i enjoyed writing!

For the love of God, don’t scream. 

As Daichi runs through the crowd, ignoring his pounding head, that’s all he can think. People move out of his way when they notice his uniform but that doesn’t stop him from shoving through the hordes of citizens. 

He knows he’s losing all common sense. He’s fucking terrified. This man forced him to go into hiding and tried to kill him. He’s in danger. And he has to get out. 

Despite all the warning signals blaring in his head that are telling him to stop making a scene, it’ll only let him and his thugs know where he is, he doesn’t. Running all the way back to his apartment, he struggles to unlock the door. His hands were shaking too much.

“Fuck.” The keys drop to the floor. “Oh for fucks sake, you’ve got to be shitting me.”

After what seems like forever, the door swings open and the officer stumbles in as if drunk. Without hesitation, he runs to his bedroom and grabs a duffel bag. Random clothes get shoved into it. 

He does the same with a backpack, gathering as much of his toiletries, food, and stashed away cash as he could. His laptop, extra gun, and ID get thrown in as well. 

Changing into different clothes to decrease the risk of getting recognized, he packs his police uniform too. He may need it.

Not wasting any time the bags get thrown in front of the door, ready to go. There’s one last thing he needs. Lifting up the mattress, he grabs the two burner phones he hid away. That was it.

He looks around the apartment one last time, knowing the place would probably get trashed by Kuroo’s minions soon enough. His poor landlord.

With the keys left on the cheap kitchen counter and bags in hand, he leaves the apartment with the door unlocked. 

Racing to the train station as fast as he could with all of the luggage, he stumbles through the doors. Now that he knew he’s been found he feels like every pair of eyes in on him, watching his every move and reporting it to one of the most overpowered mob bosses in Japan. 

Slamming into the counter in a panicked mania, he buys the first ticket he can. Sure, it’s set for Tokyo but he couldn’t care. The bigger the city, the easier it is to disappear. And he was a master at disappearing.

It cost him extra with the number of bags he had but he couldn’t care less. He was getting out of here.

Walking through the metal detectors should have frightened him, considering he was caring two guns but when the alarm when off, he didn’t even flinch. Showing security his policing bag and the ownership papers of both the firearms, they let him through. 

He made it on the train with ease, too nervous to sit back and relax. It felt like every hair on his body was standing up. They probably were.

The train ride feels longer than ever, each clunk and bang he heard causing him to jump. He hated it.

By the time it’s over, he’s so exhausted from the overuse of his senses. His stupid fucking brain. 

Within all of the overthinking, he was able to start planning his new disappearance. Where he’d get his new ID, making up a whole new background for this identity. He had one already set up, just needing the papers to make it real. 

Walking out of the station with a pamphlet of the area, he sets up the burner phone. He gets some looks for the amount of stuff he was carrying. That just made him more anxious.

Finding a cheap motel in the pamphlet, he makes his way through the familiar but alien streets. It’s been so long since he’s been in Tokyo. 

When he reaches the motel, it’s easy for him to get in. That was the point of these kinds of places. Anyone could afford them, anyone could use them. They were meant for runaways, secret missions, and the poor. At the moment he was only the first one. That might change.

Daichi places the bags on the creaky floor and inspects the entire room. The window was rickety but secure enough and the same with the door. It would work for now.

A large growl interrupts his intense thinking and it takes him a few seconds to calm down after realizing it was just his stomach.

After the panic, he was stupidly hungry. He curses his body under his breath. He didn’t want to wander around this hellish city yet.

Giving in to the needs of his body, he grabs all of the important things from his bags. He turns on his laptop, transferring every bit of data it had on it to a set of memory cards before wiping the device clean of the information. He wasn’t taking any chances.

Ready to go and now carrying almost 800 000 yen in cash, two guns and a taser, his police badge, and crippling fear, he sets out to the streets of Tokyo.

Finding the closest pub, he heads in, going up to the bar. It would be weird if he sat alone at a table.

He orders and eats, not risking having any alcohol to drink. He didn’t trust anybody in this damned place. 

People come and go around him as time goes by. When a new person comes into the bar, he checks to see if they aren’t a Nekoma member he knows, then leaves them be. 

He’s taking a bit of his burger when he gets a chill up his spine. 

Either out of paranoia or instinct, he feels eyes on him. It doesn’t take long to find them.

A pair of familiar and curious eyes watch him from the next barstool over, not even trying to hide it. Bright brown orbs just stare at him and despite the horrible things he knows they’ve seen, they look pure as ever. Daichi lets out a nervous chuckle.

“So… Now I’ve been found by two mafia groups? Great…” He runs a hand through his short hair. “How have you been, Hinata?”

“I’m surprised you came back here, Daichi.” The bright-haired boy doesn’t miss a beat at all. Typical sniper behaviour.

“I’m surprised you’ve been trying to find me.” This makes the younger man laugh. 

The pair sit in a scary silence, analyzing the changes in the other’s appearance and attitude. They knew each other well and both were a terrifying shot. Daichi did help train the ginger, after all. 

“You look good. I see you’re trying to hide your tattoos now…” A scowl paints across Hinata’s face as he points this out. 

“I doubt it would go over well at the police department if they saw mafia tattoos all over me.”

“You’ve been trying to forget about us, haven’t you?”

“Of course I have. I regret even getting involved with all of this bullshit. I was a fucking lunatic. Easy way to get rich my ass.” 

“I don’t.”

Daichi glances over at the random statement from his junior. He doesn’t what?

“I don’t regret joining. Not one bit. I’d never quit. The mob is my family now and I’d never throw that away.” The comment was targeted at him. 

“Then you’re just as crazy as the rest of them. What do you want, anyway? I didn’t come back here to join up again and I have shit to do.”

Hinata was definitely getting pissy with the attitude Daichi was giving him. The pureness was now gone from his eyes. The entire way he presented himself was different now and raised the hairs on his neck.

Tired of everything, he stands up from his seat, placing a stack of bills under his cup to pay for his food. He walks past Hinata without a second glance.

“Everyone knows you’re here.” The brunet freezes with fear. When he looks back at his old student, he realizes the gravity of the situation he just fell into.

“Damnit…” he mutters. “You’re coming with me kid. We need to have a little chat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed it! the next chapter shouldn't be too long (I've already started it and have gotten pretty far through it). 
> 
> be sure to join my discord! it's very friendly and quaint. you'll get sneak peeks into the next chapters as well as some art for my stories!
> 
> Discord: https://discord.gg/w6RsNPx


	4. Eeny Meeny Miny Mo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> papa crow and baby crow have a little chat, daichi is really fricking paranoid, poor guy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woo! i'm having such a blast writing this, no joke. this chapter has been edited by my lovely Tor so thanks! enjoy guys!

No one gets in their way as the pair trudge through the streets. Both men were wearing looks that could kill. 

“I don’t think you have the right to choose where we’re going, Daichi.” The murderous look the older male sends him shuts him up. Anyone could tell he was furious.

He was fucking terrified. No way did he want to do anything that involved anyone from his past. Not Karasuno, not Nekoma, not even the old allies he had like Date Tech.

All he wanted to do was disappear again. He wanted to recreate himself from the ground up.

Looking at the ginger behind him, he knows that won’t be possible anymore. No matter where he goes, even if it’s internationally, they’ll have ways to find him. They weren’t just a local crime gang anymore. They went from a small little match to a forest fire. And right now, business was blazing.

Daichi leads them to an old warehouse. It’s more rundown than he remembered.

“What is this place? What’re we doing here? You better not try to kill me, or Boss’ll be really, really pissed with you, no matter how much he loves you.”

The brunet stays silent, jumping over a low spot on the fence like he used to. The smaller man follows effortlessly despite his previous concerns.

It’s dark now, none of the lights at the warehouse working anymore. It’s been too long.

He uses the flashlight he carries with him to navigate around the debris. It doesn’t take long until he reaches the damaged door. The keypad was broken and permanently locked. 

It takes him a bit of shuffling around in his pockets to find the old key he held onto. Hinata sends him a questionable look. 

The door opens with a nudge, creaking loudly. Nothing scurries around as light shines through the hallway. There wouldn’t have been anything for vermin to even feed on. The entire building is concrete and metal, an empty shell. 

Feeling more comfortable now that he’s in his safe space, Daichi picks up the pace. As if he was still a kid, he flips over a barricade, running through the dark halls with a laugh. 

Even with how fit he is, Hinata struggles to move as freely behind him. He couldn’t seem to navigate well in the dark.

No longer paying attention to the kid that was following him, the brunet lets himself go. He races up the stairs that lead to the rafters, climbing and jumping over them with ease. Hinata sneezes from the dust behind him. 

A small ray of light passes through an unsecured panel. He knows he found the spot. He lifts up the loose sheet of metal and climbs through the small gap. The material clangs loudly as the police officer sits down on the roof.

“Why the hell did we need to do all that? Couldn’t we just talk inside?” The smaller man looks anxious, his sniper brain probably frantic about how vulnerable they were. 

“You’d rather sit in that dusty shit-hole? No thanks.” 

“Seriously man… You’re as stubborn as ever.” Still, the ginger sits down beside him, hand resting on top of his handgun. 

“Let’s cut to the chase. How does everyone already know I’m here? I mean, I know Karasuno and Nekoma would, but the other groups? How many?”

“Kuroo. The bastard sent out a mass informant that he had found you. Has a bunch of men hired to search for you. Some people from Date Tech to try to trace you, Fukurodani and Seijoh watching the streets. He tried to get us on board but to hell with that. After what he tried to do to you, Boss has never teamed up with him. Says he doesn’t plan to.”

“He really wants me dead…” he chuckles grimly.

“Either that or he really wants you back.” 

“Even worse. I’m guessing Sugawara’s still in charge of the family then?”

“Yep. He set up missions to search for you a lot. Apparently he should’ve just sent one of us to jail instead.”

“And does he still…?” Hinata nods.

“He’s as head over heels with you as when he first met you. When he heard Kuroo found you, I think it added a few more months to his life. Though maybe not, considering the situation we have now.”

“Fuck…” He puts his head in his heads. This was one huge mess. “So let me guess, I can either rejoin Karasuno, try and disappear again, or run and most likely get killed by my ex-lover? Those sound like great options… Lucky me.”

“Just come back to us, man. It’s probably the safest choice.”

“You know I can’t do that, Hinata. Not after everything that’s happened. The mob made me an absolute monster. I did things not even horror authors would have the guts to write about.”

“I’m sure it couldn’t have been that bad, right?” The look in Daichi’s eyes makes him stop. The man looks like he’s seeing a ghost as he remembers his past.

“You were just a kid then. You were a newbie with a drive and some skills, yeah, but you only saw the surface. Everybody in this shitty line of business has done bad things but very few of them feel remorse for it. Those people are the lucky ones.”

“What do you mean? I’m so confused, what did you do that was so awful?”

“You’re too young to know. It’s not pleasant at all, I doubt you’d sleep for the next week if you did.”

The pair sit in silence, both thinking their own dangerous thoughts.

“Was it worse than Kuroo?”

Daichi hums a response. He’s so tired from today. He feels like he could fall asleep on the rooftop.

“I’ll let you go, kid. Give me some time to think about things. Don’t try to find me.”

“Alrighty.” The pair shake hands. “You’ll be able to find me when you’re ready.”

“Yep. See you later. Maybe.” The older male slides down through the hole in the roof, making his way to the ground level.

“See you. Boss.” Hinata smiles. It looks like their Boss was going to come back. Karasuno was about to be whole again and more powerful than ever. He loved it. 

Daichi is meticulously careful on the way to his motel, not taking any chances. Night time in Tokyo meant the gangs were out and if Kuroo really did send out those alerts, he needed to be careful or else he’d find himself dead in a sewer.

The entire street his motel was on looked different when painted for the nightlife. Hoards of people drank in the streets, motels turned into brothels, bars were more than just bars. The amount of crime that was happening right now would’ve overwhelmed the people back at his department.

Everything becomes much more dangerous at night. 

He slips into his room as quickly as he can, bolting the door with the rod from the closet. The dresser gets moved over the window. 

The night is restless and paranoid. Getting even two hours of sleep was a long shot. The only good thing was that no one had found him. Yet.

When he unbars the door in the morning, he’s prepared to have someone jump out at him and does it very carefully. His gun doesn’t leave his hands until he does a quick inspection of the hall.

In all the panic last night, he didn’t give himself anytime to think about what he was going to do about the mess he got himself into. Too busy worrying about dying then, now he has to focus on not dying now.

The street’s been transformed again by the time he leaves his room, reverted back to a casual neighbourhood street lined with shops. 

Daichi keeps his head down low as he passes through, sticking to the off-road routes. Deciding to go back to the warehouse, he gets there quickly. 

And regrets it.

A bunch of men clad in red where poking around the site. The gate and doors were broken down and the place was crawling with these men.

Their jackets clearly told him who they were. As quietly as he can he runs back to his motel room and starts packing up his stuff. He’s made up his mind. Not willingly, but he decides anyway. He had to. 

Nekoma has found him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you liked it! what do you think he chose??
> 
> please be sure to join my discord! you'll get sneak peeks into future chapters as well as chapter/story art by me every once n a while! it's super nice and cozy!
> 
> Discord: https://discord.gg/w6RsNPx


	5. Welcome Back, Boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> decisions, drunk shenanigans, and a cruel angel. oh, and daichi gets a gun pointed towards his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another chapter yay! we get to meet a few more karasuno members in this chapter. huge thanks to Tor for the edit again, you're my saviour! hope you all like it and enjoy Yachi and Hinata as much as i did!

Daichi knows it wouldn’t take long for them to trace him. They’re good at that. With the area he was in and the very limited privacy he got from the hotel he chose, they have plenty of ways to get to his room. Which means get to him.

He leaves the motel in a similar way to how he left his apartment. He places the key and a handful of cash on the clerk’s desk. 

The only issues were simple: getting past Nekoma’s eyes and how the hell he was going to find the little crow. 

Disappearing down an alleyway, he rakes his brain trying to figure out what to do. For all he knew Hinata could be out on some job, hidden away from the world until he chooses to appear again. He’s good at vanishing into the crowd despite his bright hair. 

The poor police officer is at a complete loss for ideas. He couldn’t just go to Karasuno’s base and expect to be let in, even if he used to be the leader of the group. 

He digs through his pockets, looking for a cigarette out of old habit. There are none there, of course; he hadn’t smoked in years. Daichi Sawamura didn’t smoke. He curses himself for quitting although it was for the best.

If only he had a way to calm down, a way to get out of danger, a way to find Hinata. 

“Calm down,” he chants to himself. “Calm down, calm down.” He pauses, thinking for a moment before realizing something.

He figured out how to find Hinata.

Daichi moves quickly, not wasting any time. With the district he’s going to, he needs to get moving, or else he’ll be too late.

The man does his best to blend in with the crowd, once again anxious about every set of eyes. It didn’t matter to him that he wasn’t taking the main routes. Nekoma could still find him and gut him like a fish.

Avoiding all other forms of transportation out of fear, he sticks to walking. It’ll take way longer than he wanted it to but now is not the time to get risky and stupid.

After spending the entire day walking, making no stops along the way, the streets are starting to get dark again. There isn’t much action for a little while, the roads dead and suburban. 

A few more minutes of travel and he can hear his destination. Karasuno was always one for raging nightlife, almost as crazy as Fukurodani. 

Lights and people fill the streets, no one paying him a single glance. With the number of people around him, it was a pain in the ass for him to get to the storefront where he was sure they’d be. Thankfully, he was right.

Safe and in his old element again, Daichi assumes that he’s alright to reveal who he is a bit more. No one would dare hurt him here.

He takes off his hoodie and mask, throwing them carelessly into his bag. He fits in now. With a tight black tee-shirt and tattoos out for the world to see since he didn’t have the chance to cover them with makeup, he was ready to get back home. 

He squares his shoulders back and lifts his head a bit. He’sno longer the weird and stiff guy walking through the crowd. Now he’s joining the party, and that makes him more invisible. He’s like everyone else in the street now.

Within minutes, he’s able to spot the bright hair and attire of Hinata. Daichi heads up to him, waving at the younger boy. The grin he gives him is as big as the Cheshire Cats. 

“Boss! You came back!” The blonde beside Hinata looks confused, unable to tell who it was that her friend was talking to. 

“I didn’t really have a choice, but here I am.” He sighs before smiling at the pair in front of him. 

Inseparable and fun-loving as ever, Yachi and Hinata were dressed and ready to party for the rest of the night, both of them holding drinks of who-knows-what in their hands. It is all he can do to ignore the police officer in him that wants to arrest them for public intoxication. That life is long gone by now.

“Oh! Oh!” The girl finally seems to process who he is. The waterworks come afterward. “Hold on, Daichi? Daichi!” 

He ends up being tackled by not just Yachi but Hinata as well. 

“Let’s go! Come on, come on! Awesome! This is so fucking great, man.” Even though he knows where he’s going, Daichi finds himself getting dragged by the pair.

They may be leading the way but they definitely aren’t in the position to do so. The overly happy adults stumble along, running into people, and spilling their drinks in the process. Neither of them cared.

With the larger group moving all together it takes longer to get to the building. The place towers over the other small shops and houses in the area, lights seemingly never-ending as they grow up towards the sky. 

His trained eyes can tell that it’s more than just a fancy office. He spots cameras and patrol guards, he sees the strategically reflective glass. 

It still isn’t as big as the old Nekoma base, but it’s way bigger than it used to be. Karasuno’s done well these past few years.

Hinata goes through the gates confidently, Yachi dancing along behind him. 

“Maybe finding them at night wasn’t the best idea…” He should have known they’d be completely plastered. “They should be more careful before they get themselves killed.”

Without thinking, Daichi goes to follow his juniors and gets stopped by the security. It isn’t anyone he knows, so there’s no way they know him.

Before Hinata even has time to get pissed at them, Daichi switches his attitude and carriage once again. When he’d done it the first time, he went from disappearing to party-goer. Now, he’s going for his position. Mob boss.

He squares his shoulders back, planting his feet into the ground. Despite his shorter and less intimidating height, lifting his head makes himself seem taller. He narrows his eyes down at the unknown guards and that’s all it takes.

“I would advise you to let me through.” He lowers his voice out of habit. “It wouldn’t make either of us happy if you didn’t.”

The kids, since they could barely be older than twenty, look terrified by this stranger. “I, um, I can’t, sir. If it’s not a scheduled appointment with the Boss, you can’t come past the gates.” 

“Oh?” He cracks his knuckles. “Did I stutter? I’m going through, whether you like it or not.”

“Don’t be such an asshole.” A swift hand hits him in the back of his head, bringing him down from his power high. “He’s with me, let him through.”

Like an angel with soldiers flocking behind her, the familiar woman struts by him with a man on each side. Hitmen, of course.

Daichi glances at the drunk two. Forgetting about him, they too flock towards the commanding woman, bouncing around with excitement. His name is mentioned multiple times.

“What are you standing around for? You look like a useless log.” With a small smirk, Shimizu gestures for him to follow. “This is your home, isn’t it? Welcome back, Boss.”

Hearing those words is all it takes to get him moving again. 

“That’s true. Let’s get back to work.”

In the background the chaotic duo cheer. “We’re, we’ll be unstoppable again! Like a wall or something! Nothing can stop walls, right?”

“Ha, walls are like DateTech, right? They’re all big, dumb giants.”

“Yeah, tall people can go and, and- what do tall people do again?”

“Hit their heads on doorwards like the losers they are!”

“Yeah! They can go smack their heads on doorways, ‘cause they’re just so dumb!”

They walk, or stumble, through the heavy glass doors. The smell was something he didn’t miss, he notes as they stand in the lobby.

He was finally back. For better or for worse, he was back. 

Footsteps sound towards him and panting follow afterward. Two figures run towards them, the taller one clearly out of breath and asking the other to slow down and be rational. He doesn’t have much luck. 

The quicker one stops and stares at him. He looks back just as strong.

Without warning, Daichi finds himself standing there with a gun pointed at his head.

“Welcome back, darling,” Sugawara says with a smile. “How have you been?”

“Just peachy, honey.” He can’t help but look fondly at his partner. “Very glad to be back.” The gun gets lowered.

“And we’re glad to have you back.” With the gun safely in the holster, Suga opens his arms wide. “You kept me waiting long enough.”

He obeys the silent order and falls into his lover’s arms. “I’m sorry. But I’m back now.”

“Well then, I guess I have to say ‘Welcome back, Boss,’ don’t I?”

This was it. He was back. And unlike last time, there would be no escaping alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you thought of this chapter now that the story's really starting to pick up. all comments and constructive criticism is welcome!
> 
> don't forget to join my discord server! you'll have access to exclusive sneak peeks, character profiles, and chapter art! it's a great and friendly space!
> 
> Discord: https://discord.gg/w6RsNPx


	6. Everything's Changed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> drunk hinata and yachi are my entire being so enjoy, a lil bit of KiyoYachi, a lil bit of yams (poor guy). suga and daichi have some relationship problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys for being patient with this chapter! my exams are over so updates should go back to weekly. it hasn't been edited due to internet issues but i hope you enjoy! 
> 
> just saying, it may seem like it's going to become nsfw near the end of the chapter but it doesn't!

No one says a word as the reunited couple clutch onto each other for dear life. Both of them can barely breathe but that doesn’t matter. These arms are comfort. These arms are home.

They break apart when Shimizu clears her throat, expressing the discomfort of everyone else in the lobby. 

“I know this is a touching moment, but I believe we have some things to discuss.” The pair nod, not hugging but still keeping physical contact with the other. “Sugawara, Daichi, Asahi, let’s head to the office to talk.”

The mentioned group follows behind the powerful woman. Her two guards start to go as well but a stabbing glance stops them in their tracks. This will be a private meeting, with important matters.

The four file into the elevator, heading up to go to the top floor. Just before the door closes, a drunk Hinata stumbles through, giggling. Yachi joins, just as clueless.

“You, you guys can’t just go off without us! We’re part of the group too, right Yachi?”

“Yeah!”

“See? We wanna see Daichi too! He, he’s basically our dad so we gotta see him.”

Though irritated, Shimizu looks at Yachi with a softer affection. The girl falls into her.

“You two are insanely drunk, but we still can’t risk it. This is important business. It has to be kept between us.” Yachi whines and her partner kisses her head. “I’m sorry, sweet pea. How about you go to bed and I’ll see you in an hour or so, okay?”

“I wanna come, though…” 

“I said no. Go to bed.”

The small blonde pushes away and into Hinata. “We’ll just go have more fun then. Right, Hinata? Let’s go!” She starts clicking the elevator buttons furiously, planning on getting off on the next one and making it stop on each floor for the others.

“Stop pushing buttons! Oh God, what am I going to do with you?” Shimizu looks back at Sugawara and Daichi. “I’m so sorry about this. I’ll call Yamaguchi to handle them.” 

They all chuckle, not even viewing it as an inconvenience. It was more like a personal comedy show. The woman resets the elevator, the top floor being the only destination again, and while holding back Yachi, calls the most responsible of the ‘96 group.

It’s a short and sweet conversation and is over by the time they finally get to the top floor. They all exit the elevator, Hinata with some difficulty, and wait in the lounge for Yamaguchi to show up. 

“What the hell did you guys do this time?” A man walks in through one of the hallways and it takes Daichi a few seconds to realize who it is. “I swear if I have to do this one more time this week I’m going to get Tsukki to knock you two out.”

The faces of the drunks light up as if they’re seeing a saviour. “Yamaguchi! Yama! Come here, lemme braid your hair! It’s so pretty!” 

As if he’s a magnet, the plastered duo sticks to his side and get lead back to the elevator to go to their floors. The glance he sends the higher-ups is one that reads “if I have to do this again, you’re on your own”.

Daichi watches them get into the elevator before turning his attention to a tired Shimizu. She sighs with a facepalm, making Suga laugh.

“No worries, no worries,” he says while patting her back. “Now that that’s out of the way, how about we actually go to the office and talk?”

“That sounds great, at this point.” 

With a more private setting, the four are all seated in plush chairs around a small table. There are papers already sprawled over the table; past paperwork, expenses, mail.

Sitting at the head of the table again, Daichi feels out of place. He doesn’t deserve to be back here, Suga does. He abandoned them for three years, left them to fend for themselves, and now they’re letting him come back. They must be saints.

Three pairs of eyes stare holes through him. They’re waiting for him to start the meeting. Where does he even begin?

“I’m guessing things have been well since I left?” He’s awkward and uncomfortable. Putting up the act to the unknowing soldiers was easy, but being back in the actual position with the people that know him is a completely different story. 

“That’s quite a big assumption.” Sugawara looks at him unapologetically, a wave of slight anger now showing. “Honestly, when I heard that Hinata had met up with you and you might be coming back, I didn’t want it to be true. Wish it hadn’t happened.” 

The blunt words hit like bullets. There’s no way to respond to that. He looks around the table and the expressions of the others tell him that they feel the same way.

“I completely understand why you would be angry with me.” As much as his partner’s words hurt, he knows it’s the truth.

“We don’t have a problem with you coming back, Daichi,” Asahi comments. “We just, we’re still wary about the entire situation. It’s been three years and we still have no idea what happened with Nekoma.”

“You left a lot of loose ties for us,” Shimizu gestures to the other two higher-ups, “to clean up. We need to know what happened before we can trust you again.”

What happened with Nekoma was the most traumatic and shameful thing he’s ever experienced. With the look Sugawara is sending him, he can tell he knows.

“There isn’t an easy way to tell you about this.”

“Well, good. There wasn’t an easy way to pick up the pieces you left everywhere.”

Daichi gets a strong urge to have a drink. The idea of being as carefree and Hinata and Yachi suddenly seems very appealing to him. 

Giving in, he gets up. The action startles the others and they stand up with him, everyone reaching for a weapon of some sort. They watch as he moves to the liquor cabinet and pours himself a generous glass of whisky.

He downs the first glass in seconds, cringing, but gives himself another one before bringing it back to the table and sitting down.

“What’s wrong? Are you getting regretful now?” 

“Nope. I’m getting drunk. This is one long story and my brain needs all the help it can get right now.”

It is a long story, much longer than he wishes it was. Daichi’s sure the others are getting bored of it as he goes into detail, but when he looks up from his drink, they’re still as attentive as ever.   
It’s late by the time he finishes talking. He can tell his friends are irritated and overwhelmed by the boatload of information but being able to finally share it is relieving. 

The glass in front of him is empty, and he’s sure some of the details he shared because of his impairedness were unnecessary. 

The silence afterward is uncomfortable. No one really knows what to say. 

After everyone gets the chance to process everything, Shimizu speaks up.

“I think that’s enough for tonight. It’s late. We can discuss things in further detail in the morning.” She pushes her hair back and stands up, organizing the papers on the table.

“That’s fair,” Asahi chimes in. “Besides, I’m sure the other groups have probably gotten wind of Daichi’s return. Tomorrow will be hectic.” 

They each get up from the table, Daichi stumbling a bit, and say their farewells. It was way tenser than anything that’s ever happened between them. They didn’t feel much like family now, more like business associates. He hated it.

“If it’s alright with Suga, you can probably sleep in the suite with him. If not, we’ll find you a room. The woman glances up at the recent boss, trying to figure out his emotions. She’s unsuccessful.

“He can join me. If he wants to, at least.” Though Suga’s still angry with his partner, he can’t help but feel the same love for Daichi that he did three years ago. 

Daichi struggles to respond but manages to gulp out a “yes”. 

“Great. Let’s get you to bed before you can drink any more.” Suga wraps his arm around him and they make their way to the door. “Thanks, Shimizu, Asahi. Sorry for keeping you so late.”

“No worries… We’ll see you tomorrow.”

With that, they walk out of the office and go to the suite, this time going down a different hallway off of the lounge. 

The room is incredibly familiar they walk in. Sugawara has barely changed a single thing. The colour scheme, the photos, everything was the same. A few more frames are hung up on the walls, displaying things that happened in the past three years.

“Feel free to grab a shower. Some of your old clothes are in the linen closet if you want to change. Let me know if you anything.”

Stumbling again, Daichi makes his way to the bathroom out of habit. He wants to get away from Suga before he does something he may not want yet.

The warm water is refreshing, loosening his muscles and rinsing away the stress. He longs for Suga to join him like he used to but knows it won’t happen now. Not yet, maybe not ever. And so he continues the shower alone, relaxing while he still can.

When he gets out and goes to change into his old clothes, they don’t fit him anymore. The shirts were too tight around the shoulders and the pants too tight around his thighs and calves. He hadn’t noticed it but he really bulked up on muscle in the past few years, working out being his only real hobby.

He sticks with changing into a clean pair of sweatpants from his bag and no shirt, drying his hair as he leaves the bathroom. 

Sugawara’s sitting on one of the couches with a book in his hands, the TV on in the background. A glass of rum and cola is on the table beside him. He usually doesn’t like hard liquor.

Daichi joins him in the seating area, unsure of what to do. He ends up watching the movie on the TV, an American film called Big Fish. Every once and a while he looks towards the other man in the room, watching as the alcohol gets drained from the glass. 

When it’s empty, Sugawara stands up and places it in the sink, leaving the book on the cushions. 

“I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning,” Suga says without looking at him

“Oh, um, alright,” he stutters like a flustered mess. “Good night, honey. Love you.” 

It’s his partner’s turn to get flustered, not expecting to be shown much affection after the cold treatment he was giving Daichi. The heat in his face increases when he finally notices the other man’s attire.

“Good night.” He turns away quickly, pushing away the thoughts that came to mind. He doesn’t say “I love you” back.

Like a teenaged girl, Suga buries his face into his pillow when he jumps on his bed. How can this man still have such an effect on him? 

Despite how exhausted he is, he can’t seem to fall asleep and soon enough, Daichi is joining him in the bedroom. Still shirtless, might he add.

He doesn’t bother to see if Sugawara is still up, getting under the covers on the opposite side of the bed. Though there’s only a foot or two between them, it’s like they couldn’t be further apart.

With difficulty, they fall asleep, separated by an invisible wall.

Sometime, in his sleep, Daichi breaks that wall down and snuggles into his partner from behind, kissing Sugawara’s neck. Neither of them wakes up from the contact.

They both sleep soundly for the first time in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you liked it and thanks for reading!
> 
> remember to join my discord! it's getting bigger slowly but surely and is a super chill space! you'll get story sneak peeks as well as the occasional chapter art done by me. 
> 
> Discord: //discord.gg/w6RsNPx

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked the first chapter! feel free to join my discord, it's still small at the moment but that's ok!
> 
> Discord: https://discord.gg/w6RsNPx


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